ABOUT

At the age of 34, I made the life-changing decision to move halfway across the country and to go back to school. My post-college years had consisted of a lot of moving around-- between significant metropolises and rural locals, from tedious desk jobs to ever-changing non-profit work, from yoga to pilates to meditation. While my life path may not have mirrored those of my friends or family, I never once regretted where I was, what I was doing, or how I had gotten there. And that is, predominantly, because of the communities I got involved with along the way.

While I consider myself an introvert, I can't deny that I'm a very extroverted introvert. Social interactions, deep connections, passionate conversations, listening and sharing, and ultimately, being in the same space as those around me make up most of my favorite memories. Whether it's exploring a new city with an old friend or talking about similar life visions with a new classmate, human connection and community building is something I profoundly value.

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In 2018 I moved (back to) Minneapolis, Minnesota, and began the M.A. in Holistic Health Studies program at St. Catherine University. The curriculum focuses heavily on experiential learning and engagement in teaching/learning circles. Many of the students are adult learners, so the faculty look at them as experts in their own life experiences. Thus, everyone is seen as a valuable component of a diverse environment. The faculty and students alike are passionate about creating healthier and more vibrant communities by learning and integrating holistic practices. While the ultimate goal was to bring what we learned to the community at large, we began by practicing within the community of the classroom and the community of the program. This way of teaching/learning was unlike any I'd experienced in my previous schooling. We opened almost every class with a guided meditation or creative activity; we honored our bodies with frequent "wiggle breaks" to relieve tension and to re-motivate; we finished each semester with a closing ceremony meant to increase reflection and signify a natural end to each class; we had Native American elders come smudge classrooms and perform drum circles for us; and through it all, we, as students, became incredibly close and bonded through the community we had co-created.

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The classroom norms that we all had become accustomed to changed partway through my second to last semester. Like most of the world, our program was upended by the COVID-19 virus. Our classes moved online; our community was tested. I felt very fortunate to have already completed 3 1/2 semester in person when the change took place. I knew my classmates; we'd already gotten to know each other, bonded through tough times, creative group projects, group meditations, and some very "woo-woo" dance invitations. Those of us who were able to make deeper connections in person (pre-COVID) were better able to maintain our communities when we met virtually. However, I can't help but feel for those who are embarking on this program, or any program for that matter, virtually from the get-go.

I built this website as a resource for those attempting to build a community in virtual settings. I hope that the tools I have listed here, carefully created to be inclusive and impactful, will help bridge the gap that remote learning and working innately faces.